US calls on experts to help establish authoritative definition of ultra-processed foods

The US FDA and Department of Agriculture have launched a call to establish a single definition of ultra-processed foods to provide consumers better transparency about the foods they eat. Overconsumption of these foods is driving a chronic disease crisis, they warn.

The joint Request for Information (RFI) has gone publicly live today. Experts can help establish UPFs definition as the agencies are seeking data.

“Ultra-processed foods are driving our chronic disease epidemic,” says Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We must act boldly to eliminate the root causes of chronic illness and improve the health of our food supply. Defining ultra-processed foods with a clear, uniform standard will empower us even more to Make America Healthy Again [MAHA].”

Around 70% of packaged products are considered ultra-processed in the US, the agencies share. From these foods children get over 60% of their calories. National nutrition data reveals that more than 86% of Americans fall into the “low” or “very low” diet quality categories, with over half of the US population classified in the lowest tier.

Unified definition for policy

There is no one definition of ultra-processed foods. The agencies believe that creating one will bring consistency in research and policy, which will ultimately help tackle chronic diseases. Scientists working with the consumer app WiseCode proposed a new system, critiquing that the widely adopted classification for foods’ processing levels, Nova, is too broad and vague.

“President Trump has made it a priority to improve health outcomes for American families and communities,” comments US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “And this Request for Information is yet another step in seeking commonsense ways to foster improved and more informed consumer choice.”

“A unified, widely understood definition for ultra-processed foods is long overdue and I look forward to continued partnership with Secretary Kennedy to MAHA. As this process unfolds, I will make certain the great men and women of the agriculture value chain are part of the conversation.”

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, comments: “The threats posed to our health by foods often considered ultra-processed are clear and convincing, making it imperative that we work in lockstep with our federal partners to advance, for the first time ever, a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods.”

Science on ultra-processed foods

Several studies have warned about the rising trend in ultra-processed consumption linked to chronic diseases. Recent surveys underscored that consumers struggle to identify ultra-processed foods or to accurately determine which ones are linked to health risks, such as type 2 diabetes.

Consuming highly processed foods has also been linked to preventable premature deaths. But according to experts responding to the finding, further investigation is required to establish a causal relationship between these foods and illnesses or death.

A randomized controlled trial found that texture-derived meal differences — such as mashed versus fried potatoes — influence energy intake from ultra-processed foods.

Frank Jaksch, CEO of Ayana Bio, told Nutrition Insight how cultivated plant cell technology could reshape the future of processed foods, making them healthier without compromising taste or accessibility.